Highlights
- The Sony PS5 price will increase by $100 for standard models and $150 for the PS5 Pro globally.
- Sony blames the Sony PS5 price hike on a global memory chip shortage caused by the massive industry pivot toward AI.
- These rising costs and component shortages have fueled rumors that the Sony PS5 price surge may be followed by a PS6 delay.
Sony Interactive Entertainment has just announced a massive, mid-cycle price hike across its entire PlayStation 5 hardware. Starting Thursday, April 2, 2026, the cost of joining the current console generation will spike significantly, affecting the standard PS5, the Digital Edition, the premium PS5 Pro, and the PlayStation Portal remote player. Sony cites continued pressures in the global economic landscape as the unavoidable reason behind this major hike for the ageing console generation.
The base and digital consoles are jumping up by $100, while the premium PS5 Pro is taking an eye-watering $150 increase. In a PlayStation Blog post, SIE Vice President of Global Marketing Isabelle Tomatis pointed to "continued pressures in the global economic landscape" as the unavoidable culprit.
Behind the scenes, the tech industry’s massive pivot toward artificial intelligence has severely strained global memory chip supplies, making it much more expensive to manufacture hardware. Tomatis noted that the hike was "a necessary step to ensure we can continue delivering innovative, high-quality gaming experiences to players worldwide."
What Are the New PS5 Prices After April 2nd?
Here is exactly what the new pricing looks like across major regions once the changes take effect:
United States
- PS5: $649.99 (was $549.99)
- PS5 Digital Edition: $599.99 (was $499.99)
- PS5 Pro: $899.99 (was $749.99)
- PlayStation Portal: $249.99 (was $199.99)
United Kingdom
- PS5: £569.99 (was £479.99)
- PS5 Digital Edition: £519.99 (was £429.99)
- PS5 Pro: £789.99 (was £699.99)
- PlayStation Portal: £219.99 (was £199.99)
Europe
- PS5: €649.99 (was €549.99)
- PS5 Digital Edition: €599.99 (was €499.99)
- PS5 Pro: €899.99 (was €799.99)
- PlayStation Portal: €249.99 (was €219.99)
Japan
- PS5: ¥97,980 (was ¥79,980)
- PS5 Digital Edition: ¥89,980 (was ¥72,980)
- PS5 Pro: ¥137,980 (was ¥119,980)
- PlayStation Portal: ¥39,980 (was ¥34,980)
Note: It is currently unclear if the Japan-only version of the digital PS5, which normally sits at ¥55,000, will also see an increase.
PlayStation
Falling Sales and PS6 Delay Rumors
This pricing shockwave isn't exactly coming out of nowhere. Just last April, Sony bumped up PS5 prices in Europe, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. At the time, the Pro model was spared, and only the digital edition saw changes in the UK and Europe, alongside base models in Australia and New Zealand.
The timing is particularly tough for Sony's bottom line. Their recent financial report showed a noticeable dip, with 8 million PS5 units shipped during the holiday period, a 15.7% drop compared to the 9.5 million sold at the end of Q3 2024, as per Gameindustry.biz.
Worse, the ongoing memory shortage crisis has sparked rumors that the next-generation PS6 could be delayed until 2028 or 2029. This creates a severe setback to Sony's carefully orchestrated strategy for keeping players engaged between generations. If there's any silver lining for current owners, it's that Sony has no planned changes for game pricing or PlayStation Plus subscriptions right now.
Sony isn't the only hardware giant feeling the squeeze. Valve has already been forced to delay its next-gen Steam Machine, the Steam Frame VR headset, and a new Steam controller due to the same component crisis, with Steam Deck OLED stock also taking a hit.
Meanwhile, Nintendo is playing it safe. They haven't raised the price of their latest console yet, but they aren't ruling it out either. Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa explained that any decision to change prices will be determined comprehensively, considering profitability, installed base, and market environment. He noted that the company is working to secure stable memory supplies, adding, "If the rise in memory prices continues for longer than expected, it may start to have an effect on hardware profitability."
This caution makes sense given recent reports that Nintendo is adjusting Switch 2 production following weak holiday sales. Interestingly, they did just announce that digital Switch 2 games will cost less than physical ones in the US to reflect distribution costs. Still, players shouldn't get too comfortable; Nintendo previously raised prices on the original Switch in the US last August, bumping the console by up to 15% and accessories by up to 33%.
